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We need to put kids' health first

Posted
Monday, February 25, 2019 10:17 am

We've all been there before, either for ourselves or someone we know. At some point, you or your loved one comes down with the flu. So there's illness to deal with and unexpected bills. There are copays at the doctor's office, time to take off work, escalated prescription prices. Since many of us live on a tight budget, we don't have extra money available to meet copays or pay for rising prescription prices.
Now imagine that it's not the flu. Imagine your child has a condition that needs long-term care, repeated visits to specialists or therapists, and some delicate in-home medical equipment. These things aren't luxuries because if your child doesn't have it, he or she will die.
This is the situation families across the country find themselves in when they have a child with physical and cognitive disabilities. If an average family can be financially broken by a bout with the flu or a broken leg, imagine the impact of having a child that needs long-term care and therapy. Weeks or months in the hospital can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars very quickly.
A Cookeville mom named Rosalie Howes recently spent two days in Nashville lobbying lawmakers, asking them to vote for a Katie Beckett Medicaid waiver for her son, Hyrum, who has severe cognitive and physical disabilities following a stroke he had at birth. See, the Howes make too much money to qualify for TennCare Medicaid for Hyrum, and his care is bankrupting them.
Last week, lawmakers in Nashville introduced HB0498. If it becomes law, children under age 18 who need institutional care would get it through a waiver program, no matter how much money their parents make.
Folks on both sides of the aisle agree our healthcare system is broken. Fixing it will take a lot more than one bill. But this one bill could help a lot of families.
We urge our representatives in Nashville to support HB0498. Gofundme.com shouldn't be anyone's insurance system.